Gah, this took a lot longer than I planned. Sorry it took so long to update. March was really busy and I knew I wasn't going to get anything done but April just flew by and I'm not sure how. I wasn't even that busy but the month is nearly over. Anywho.
Hmm, the layout has changed since I last posted. Hopefully everything transferes correctly. A partial sentence from like ten chapters ago appeared at the begining of this which was just weird. Ah well, I'm sure you're not interested since it's so long since anything has been up. Sorry, but I can't say when the next part will be. It might be another two months or two weeks, or even (highly unlikely) two days.
On with the show!
Zack frowned at the whole door leading to floor sixty-nine. A whole, fully standing door meant that Sephiroth hadn't come this way. Glancing back at the heavy lab doors that stood across the floor from him, Zack stretched the back of his head. There was a service door within the lab and Seph could have taken it but… why? Yeah he had to check for Cloud in the lab but taking the service elevator didn't make sense since it really only led to storage.
So, unless the former General was planning on cutting through a half dozen walls to get back to the staircase, the man was still in the lab.
Then there were the flashing red lights above the closed doors that did little to ease his mind.
"Crap."
Cid and Cait Sith looked at him.
"Problems?" Cid asked, pulling out a cigarette from a back pocket and lighting it.
"Is it really the best teme for tha'?" Cait Sith huffed.
"Hey it looks like we're gonna be here for awhile while hedgehog figures out how to open a door." The pilot took a deep, grateful puff.
Zack rolled his eyes and turned toward the duo. "Opening the door isn't the problem." He said, patting his sword lovingly. "It's the fact that it isn't open to begin with."
Cid and Cait Sith exchanged looks, understanding dawning. Zack turned back to facing the locked door, pondering his options. His mission was to get to the President and hold him as hostage; Seph's was to get Cloud. But Seph hadn't found Cloud and, from all the evidence he'd seen so far, was probably locked within Hojo's lab. Not a pleasant thing on the best of days.
"Cait Sith, get your twin on the line. Seph and I need to talk."
The cat-like robot went still for a second before frowning. "Ah canna not."
Zack looked down at him. "What?"
"Ah canna not. Ah canna not connect wit' the other Cait Sith."
"Well, why the hell not?" Cid barked. Zack ignored the two as he stared back at the double doors.
"Are you being blocked?" He asked.
"Nye."
Shit. "Alright, slight detour. We're gonna–"
Radio static filled the air, interrupting him.
"-air. I believe the Turks are on to me. I'm shutting down all the Cait Sith's." The new voice sounded tense.
"Wait. What the? Reeve?" Zack blinked down at the disembodied voice emitting from the cat.
"Whatcha mean you're shuttin' down Cait Sith?" Cid questioned.
"It's too big of a risk to keep them running. It's imperative that you get to the President. I'm sorry I can not be of more help. Good luck."
"Hey! Wait!" Zack called but it was too late as the robot shuddered once than slumped forward completely still. The light from his yellow eyes faded to black.
"Well shit." Cid swore. Zack heartily agreed with him.
Sephiroth had filled Zack in on the general details of why Reeve was helping them and he understood the huge risk the man was taking. If the Turks were on to him the best they could hope for, and fortunately the most likely, was for the secret enforcers to arrest the man and take him in for questioning. Zack really hoped they wouldn't shot him on sight. He couldn't see the businessman putting up any kind of resistance that would warrant that kind of reaction from the Turks. But, just to even out the playing field, they should probably get a hostage of their own.
"Alright, scratch the detour. If Seph can't get his way out I doubt there's much we can do to help him." Zack didn't like leaving friends behind but in the long run going with the original mission would work out better. At least he hoped so. "We'll just keep going up and finish this messed up mission."
"If ya say so." Cid replied. He took one last long drag of his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and grinding the butt into the tile floor with the toe of his boot. He hefted his spear to rest on his shoulder. "When we're done with this loud of shit, ya owe me a beer and a pack of cigarettes."
Zack smirked. "Don't ya think you should cut back a little? We still have a couple flights to run up. Plus, we might have to make a hasty retreat downwards if this all goes to hell." He swung Buster out and punctured it into the middle of the door. With a twist of his wrist and a flexing of muscle he wrenched the metal off the hinges before throwing the warped metal sheet down the hall.
"The hell! Watch where ya swinging that meat clever." Cid shouted as he ducked under the flying door. "And wouldn't it have been easier to just smash the doorknob, ya loon?"
"Hey, don't you start calling me that too." They started up the stairwell.
"What? I think it suits ya." Cid replied with a grin. "And I'm taking the elevator down even if the place is on bloody fire. That's what they're there for after all. I'm surrounded by fuckin' health nuts I tell ya."
Zack chuckled as they rounded the bend.
-- -- --
Standing at his desk, Reeve hastily typed away at his keyboard, successfully shutting down all the Cait Sith's, though he was concerned about the lack of signal from the one that was with the General. He very much hoped that it was being blocked somehow by the unusual security in the science labs and did not mean that the robot had been destroyed. Whatever had happened, did not sit well with him. He did not like being blind to other's movements.
His robots dealt with he moved to backing-up and erasing his own hard drive. It would be best if the Turks didn't know how long he had been spying within the company. That would only lead to questions – and possible betrayals of the few friends he did have in the building – he'd rather not answer.
Remarkably he finished before his door was pushed open and two Turks, Tseng he recognized and the newest member a female who he couldn't remember her name, stepped through, guns out and trained on him. Reeve remained standing, raising his hands beside his head. His tasks complete, he'd go calmly with them now and hope it would earn him points for the near future. He was no fighter, knew he stood no chance against even one highly trained Turk, nor did he ever wish to be.
"All clear." Tseng spoke into the hallway.
Whatever brownie points Reeve earned must have gone into not being shot at first sight since the person that next entered sent the belief that he would be escorted to a cell to wait out his sentencing straight out the window. Clean cut and dashing in his white suit, Vice-President Rufus stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. With the two Turks flanking him still armed and ready, the young man took a moment to study Reeve and his office. Reeve held what little ground he still had and remained composed, or at least as much one can with one's hands in the air. Inspection done Rufus fixed Reeve with a small, cool smile and said,
"I do believe you've overstepped your bounds, Mr. Tuesti."
-- -- --
Zack finished cutting through the door hinges then stepped back to admire his handiwork.
"Just get on with it." Cid gripped as he leaned against his spear, a cigarette dangling in his mouth.
"Hold your chocobo's, gramps. Don't you know it's always important to make a memorable entrance?"
"Who ya callin' gramps, ya loony hedgehog."
"Sticks and stones."
Cid stomped his spear on the floor. "I'll give ya a stick."
They had finally arrived at their destination, the President's office. Zack was worried about the lack of Turks or even guards anywhere on the level. He was beginning to doubt the fat man was still on the floor. He'd check out the office anyway. Best to cross off the room and maybe they'd luck out and find where the leader of Shinra had hidden his fat ass.
With a high, side kick, the former First Class knocked the steel door off its supports and halfway across the room.
"Did ya even try the door handle?" Cid asked as he followed Zack into the spacious room. His long spear was resting on his shoulder but Zack knew from experience that the man could be ready to fight in a seconds notice. He had his own weapon out and ready for any surprises.
"What's the fun in that?" Zack replied back, eyes scanning for any signs of life in the large room. He quickly found some though it wasn't the President or even Rufus. Sitting behind the outsized wood desk on the far side of the room was Hojo. Elbows on the surface and hands clasped under his chin, he flashed them a look of irritation.
"Hmph." The scientist snorted, drawing Cid's attention as well. "How does he expect me to work under these conditions? Really, it's simply intolerable."
Zack bristled. "Where's Cloud." He demanded, swinging Buster around to face the balding man. Hojo hmphed again.
"Is that why you're here? Your logic is truly lacking if you expected to find any of my works here. But," He continued when Zack glowered. "Your search is not completely in vain. Specimen C." He called the last part and a door off to the side of the desk opened. Out stepped Cloud still clothed in black with his black tinted blade strapped to his back. Zack grinned.
"Spike!" He cried as he started toward the blond. Cid muttered 'Damn Strife' as he followed.
But Cloud made no response and Zack slowed to a halt a few feet from the silent man. "Spike? Cloud? Hey, c'mon, Let's get out of here." Cloud continued to stare into space. "Cloud?" Zack tried once more giving a shoulder a gentle shake, disturbed by the green tint in the normally blue eyes.
"What the hell happened to him?" Cid asked, chewing hard on his cigarette.
Zack spun on his heel, blade pointed straight at the still seated scientist. "What do you do to him!?"
"Only what you so ignorantly call 'he' was produced to do. It is no more than a working experiment that has taken years to mature. But, why do I need to explain any of this to you. You wouldn't understand the finer points. And since it seems that Sephiroth it late in arriving I will have to make do with inferior equipment. Specimen C," He directed at Cloud. "Kill them."
Zack blinked at Hojo, not comprehending what the man had just ordered. Cloud would never… A whisper of scrapping steel and First Class instincts had Zack spinning and blocking the strike aimed for his head. He stared at the expressionless face on the other side of their crossed blades, his mind buzzing with why Cloud would ever attack him. Or, at the very least, listen to Hojo.
"Cloud!" He called, trying to break through to the blond. "Snap out of it. C'mon, you know you don't want to do this."
Clearly Zack thought wrong since the blond attacked again swinging his blade at the Soldier's legs. Zack easily blocked then danced back a few steps. Cid charged into the opening. With his spear point he tried to disarm the aggressive blond but was unsuccessful as Cloud, with a twirl of his sword caught the spear pole in a lock before ripping it out of the pilot's hands. He then high kicked Cid in the chest sending the older blond flying through the air to crash into a far wall. Cid slumped to the ground clearly out for the count.
Cloud turned his blank now mostly-green eyes back to Zack. Zack tightened his grip, readying himself for a tough fight against an opponent he didn't want to harm but whom had ever intention of kill him.
"Not exactly how I pictured our first date, Spike." Zack muttered. Of course Cloud made no response other than to strike again.
There, happy? Cloud finally showed up. (Don't mind me snickering in the corner about his condition though.) You know, I realized I get more reviews when I don't post as much. There may be somthing to this. Hmm...